Red RC » Gas

September 23, 2026

Canberra, Australia to open 2027 Asian Buggy C/ships season

With the latest season of the Asian Buggy Championships have just concluded recently in Indonesia, the high profile 1:8 Offroad Championship has announced a brand new host venue for the opening race of Season #5 which takes racers to Canberra, Australia. Kicking off the four round championship on February 10-14, Canberra Off-Road Model Car Club (CORMCC) is located in Australia’s capital, and is one of the country’s best, longest running venues, renowned for its natural dirt surface that grooves up beautifully. CORMCC has played host to many National Championship events, including the 2026 edition, and will be an ideal venue to open ABC ’27. The addition of Canberra and the new True North facility in the Philippines marks a new look for the series next year. In making this announcement and confirming new venues, ABC paid tribute to the Pine Hills and Counties RC teams that have hosted ABC races in recent years. After the season opener Round 2 will take races to the new Philippine Masters from Mar 31-Apr 4 before return to new for 2026 track Lap Paradise in Malaysia from May 26-30. Details for the fourth & final round of 2027 will be announced shortly.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [asianbuggychamps.com]

September 19, 2026

2027 FEMCA Asia Nitro C/ship – Registration Open

Following the very successful running of the IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car Championship in Italy, FEMCA have been in touch to highlight the opening of entries for the 2027 Asia Nitro Championship which will be hosted at England Park Raceway in Queensland, Australia. Scheduled for March 9 – 13, 2027, the race to become the official Champion of Asia will cater for at three IFMAR Nitro Onroad categories with racing for 1:10 Nitro Touring Car (200mm), 1:8 Onroad and 1:8 GT. The governing body for RC racing in Asia and Australasia, FEMCA represents 15 nations. Registration for 1:10 and 1:8 Onroad includes 8 sets control tyres, control fuel, entry & banquet for driver while 1:8 GT includes 3 sets of tyres. While registration is now open via rcracepal.com interested racers should note that registration closes 30 November, 2026 due to lead times need by tyre and fuel manufacturers. Host club Queensland Radio Circuit Car Racing Association has created an information document on the event and the each class which can be viewed here

Source: FEMCA [Facebook]

September 17, 2026

’26 1:10 Nitro Onroad World C/ship Chassis Focus Index

A decade after Gubbio hosted the IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship, the category was back in the world capital of nitro onroad racing with the return to Italy creating a real resurgence of interest in these 2.1cc powered cars. With 114 drivers from 20 countries turning laps of the Miniautodromo Internazionale M.Rosati, six car manufacturers were represented at the 11th edition of the Worlds with Infinity the best represented with 39% of the entry and Shepherd the smallest with just 4 drivers. In the 11 car Main final, we would see 5 x Capricorn, 3 x Infinity, an Xray, a Serpent and a Mugen Seiki make up the grid. During our race coverage, which was made possible thanks to the support of LensBodies, Energy Fuel, Gimar Engines, and PowerHD Servos, we managed to photograph cars from all 6 manufacturers including the winning car of Naoto Matsukura. In case you missed any of these we have compiled all 7 cars in our latest Chassis Focus Index.

View Chassis Focus Index here

September 16, 2026

Newly crowned World Champion Matsukura set for Singapore International Nitro GP

Having confirmed Mugen Seiki’s reigning double 1:8 Onroad World Champion Shoki Takahata earlier this month, the organisers of the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix have now confirmed newly crowned 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Champion Naoto Matsukura for the 20th anniversary of the race. Like Takahata, Matsukura became a double Nitro Onroad World Champion, the first driver to achieve the accolade in 1:10, when the Infinity driver took the win in Gubbio, Italy, last Saturday. Taking place on October 10-11, the same weekend as the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, over the last two decades of the Singapore International Nitro GP, the Radio Control Modellers’ Club’s annual international race has welcomed numerous World Champions. 2026 looks like attracting its greatest line up of World Champions yet with drivers getting to race on the track’s newly laid asphalt.

Source: RCMC Singapore [Facebook]

September 16, 2026

Dialed In – 1:8 Onroad Racing Book by Joachim Bruneau

US 1:8 Nitro Onroad racer and winner of the 50th anniversary Florida WinterNats earlier this year, Joachim Bruneau has written a book to share some of his knowledge from racing in what is widely regarded as the F1 category of RC racing. Available as a paperback on Amazon, the book is not intended as a setup bible or a claim that he has the secret to being fast but rather a simple method for thinking about the car, the track and the driver in order to become faster and, more importantly, more consistent. The Serpent team driver says the book for anyone who enjoys 1:8 Onroad and ‘it is meant to be a Practical Guide to getting, and staying, fast’. Inside the book covers his 3-step method for finding speed and keeping it, Clutch, Engine & Pipe, Shocks, Body and Tyres, Set-up fundamentals, Handling considerations and driving-feel notes for every adjustment, plus practical suggestions for common issues and inside you will

Source: Joachim Bruneau [Amazon.com]

September 15, 2026

Wicaksono joins Sworkz team

Sworkz, who just released their latest S35-5 buggy platform, has announced the addition of well known & accomplished Indonesian 1:8 Offroad racer Adrian Wicaksono to its official team line-up. The Indonesian National Champion and multiple FEMCA Championship Finalist is also the host of his home country’s Asian Buggy Championships round at his ‘bucket list’ track West Side Raceway in Jakarta. Responsible for designing and building the track which last month concluded the fourth season of the Asian Buggy Championships, Wicaksono work was highly praised by the races biggest international field to date. Switching from Team Associated to Sworkz for the 2026 season, on the official announcement of his team driver status, Wicaksono said, ‘First off, I would like to thank Scott Yang and Sworkz for giving me the opportunity to run for an incredible brand! Having Sworkz believing in my racing program has given me the confidence to push for new limits. I hope we can achieve many incredible things together here in the region. See you all at trackside!’

Source: Sworkz [sworkz.com]

September 13, 2026

Title No.7 as Matsukura reclaims Nitro Touring Worlds in Italy

18-years after he took his first IFMAR World title as a 15-year-old in 1:12, Naoto Matsukura has added a 7th World Championship victory by reclaiming the 1:10 Nitro Touring Car crown in Italy. The 11th running of the championships, the Infinity driver, who turns 33 on Monday, would take a convincing win in Gubbio, 8-years on from winning the same title in the United Stated. Starting from 3rd on the grid, Matsukura would go to P2 on the opening lap and closely pursue team-mate & Top Qualifier Dario Balestri as they pulled clear of the field. Unfortunately for Balestri, just like in 2016 when he TQ’d the same championships at the same track, the final wasn’t to go his way. While finishing on this occasion, albeit in P6, the Italian would hit an issue during his tyre stop with the rear right wheel change delaying him by a lap & a half, effectively ending his quest to finally add a 1:10 title to the two he has achieved in 1:8. The only driver to manage a 15-second lap of the Miniautodromo Internazionale Mario Rosati track in the Main, later in the race Balestri would also run out of fuel. With his main rival out of contention, Matsukura could manage the race even adjusting his tyre stop strategy to just a single stop having started out planning two stops. While he was on cruise control, with a 2-lap buffer, to becoming the first driver to win the categories biggest prize twice, the battle for second brought life to the final minutes of the 1-hour encounter as Capricorn’s Toni Gruber, having turned around a disappointing start to the week, tried to hunt down a very impressive Filippo Domanin. This race marking his World Championship debut, the talented Italian teenager kept the highly experienced German at bay taking a crowd pleasing 2nd by one tenth of second. Just off the podium, Kyle Branson claimed P4 on his World Championship return ahead Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani.

Continue reading here

September 12, 2026

New World Champion to be crowned in Italy, Groskamp just misses out in LCF

Nitro Touring Car will get a new IFMAR World Champion in Italy as reigning champion Jilles Groskamp RC failed to make the Main Final, the Infinity driver’s quest coming to an end in the Last Chance Final in Gubbio when he was denied the win by France’s Quentin Leroux by just 0.071. of a second. Winner of the title 2-years ago in Bangkok, Groskamp found himself in the Semi final after qualifying P5, just missing out on the Top 4 directing qualifying spots to British racer Kyle Branson. Starting the second of the Semi Finals on pole, the 30-minute final would produce a thrilling & intense multi car battle for the lead. While Groskamp held the lead early on it was Melvin Diekmann who took a late win ahead of Milan Holthuis as Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani, having led, dropped to third. 1.9-seconds back Groskamp finished fourth, the Top 3 progressing to the final. With 15-minutes to try and put himself into the Main via the Last Chance Final, starting on pole Groskamp led for the opening laps but a very fast Leroux quickly got himself to the front. Following each other for the rest of the race, gapping 3rd place, a moment as the race entered the final 2-minutes looked to be the end of Groskamp’s challenge but an impressive charge over the final laps saw the Dutch veteran right back on the rear bumper of the leader’s Capricorn setting up a dash to the loop. But it wasn’t to be, the experienced Leroux holding his nerve and progressing to the final as the 11th car on the grid. In the first of the Semi final, Capricorn’s Toni Gruber took the win ahead of Jakub Rozycki and pole sitter Alex Thurston to secure their places in the decider for the 11th running of these World Championships.